In the first six months of this year, as many as 109 internationally most wanted people were arrested by the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation of Dubai Police.

Of these, 18 criminals of different nationalities have already been extradited,Major Salem Rumaithi, Deputy Director of General Department of Criminal Investigations, told Khaleej Times.

Compared to last year, the number of criminals extradited by UAE has gone up this year, thanks to closer cooperation with Interpol and a host of countries. The extradition files of those arrested in Dubai are currently being drafted by police and judicial authorities.

Major Saeed Ali Saif Lutah, Director of the Wanted Section of Dubai Police, said: “Interpol has contributed majorly in arresting a large number of most wanted persons who had committed serious crimes, and is still making all efforts to arrest others.”

Major Lutah added that some countries were not handing over suspects to the UAE despite their arrests due to technical reasons. One such criminal is Muhammad Fakhr Lodhi, who now lives in the UK. The owner of a pharmaceuticals firm, Lodhi was sentenced in absentia after fleeing to the UK where he was arrested, but despite a UK court order that he be handed over to Dubai, he has not been sent to the UAE so far.

Another criminal is Njadit Papadi Sissoko, who had siphoned off a huge amount from a Dubai bank and escaped to the US.

“We have good ties with Interpol as well as the judicial systems in both the UK and the US. However, the extradition depends on various matters as well as bilateral agreements,” noted Major Lutah, adding that the UAE was cooperating with all countries to bring the criminals to justice.

On the entry of people wanted by other countries, he said those who had given the police a slip would be apprehended and brought to book. “They are then referred to the Public Prosecution which takes action according to the seriousness of their crime,” he said.

In such cases, the Dubai Public prosecution asks for extradition documents which are to be received within a specified period.

When asked if the Mossad agent arrested in Poland in connection with the Dubai murder of Hamas leader Mahmud Al Mabhouh would be extradited or not, he said, “The Polish court has ordered that he be handed over to Germany. We are asking Germany and Interpol for his extradition.”

Lt. Gen. Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander in Chief of Dubai Police, has praised the role of Dubai Police and Interpol in bringing the internationally most wanted criminals to justice.

Explaining how the system of international police cooperation works, Brigadier Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Director of General Department of Criminal Investigation of Dubai Police Department, said: “Dubai Interpol is acting through the Abu Dhabi Central National office — the communication unit, which is responsible for following up of international notices issued by the Interpol General Secretariat.”

He pointed out that there are several international notices issued by Interpol beginning with the red notice for an international arrest warrant.

The blue notice is used to request information about the identity of persons and determine the place of residence of offenders.

International Bulletin Green is used to warn member states of offenders.

A yellow notice is a search for missing persons, including minor children and women, who are mainly victims of human trafficking, while black notice is used to identify dead people, he explained.

Mohammed Noor Abdullah and Saif bin Mohammed Shah, both Bangladeshis, wanted for sodomising and murdering a compatriot and fleeing UAE

Sususuch Muhammad Fakhr Lodhi, a Pakistani who is now in the US, but sentenced in absentia for setting up a drug unit in Umm Al Quwain

Madhav Patel Bjophai, Indian, accused of fraud by submitting false documents to obtain financial facilities from several banks in Dubai totalling Dh371,509,000 million

Ziad Ahmed Ahmed Mohamed, a Syrian with triple citizenships including of Russia and Yugoslavia, who was sentenced in absentia in Dubai for drug trafficking

Rajendra Sadahev Nekalji, Indian, wanted for murdering and shooting at a group of Indians in UAE, and on charges of committing acts of terrorism, bombing and killing in Mumbai, India

Ravigiphai Manophai Sarigor, an Indianaccused of killing an entire family of five and fled to India after committing the crime

Njadit Papadi Sissoko of Mali accused of obtaining large sums of money through swindling and fraud and transferring out of the country approximately Dh1 billion from Dubai Islamic Bank. He escaped to the US

Tessa Mark Linus, a Sri Lankan accused of killing a woman and her two children; has fled the country

Rohan Militanto Latagy, a Sri Lankan accused of killing a compatriot inside his apartment and fleeing with a costly watch to Sri Lanka

Mohammed Abu Bakr Hashen Holdar, a Bangladeshi using the name Abu Bakr Haji, accused of killing a Bangladeshi woman; he fled to for his homeland after committing the crime